Reviews by craft_shannie:

More User Reviews:

Pretty stoked to try a BBA stout out of a can. Poured what looked thick, and black. Really no head on this. The smell was a bit weak. Really no bourbon on the nose. Smells of coffee, malt, vanilla, all of which were pretty light. The taste got better as it warmed. Just a slight bit of bourbon right at the beginning of the sip, disappeared instantly and was followed by bitter chocolate and coffee. Slight bit of vanilla and malt with a bitter finish. Not half bad. I'da liked more bourbon, but I will say that the stout characteristics were not overshadowed by bourbon and were there to be tasted. The mouthfeel was where I'd say I was disappointed. Very thin for a stout. However at 7.5 abv I suppose you'll have that. Overall, Not a bad offering. Love the idea of a BBA stout in a can. Looking forward to trying more beers from Great Crescent.

Edit: Upon drinking my 2nd can, I've found that the barrel is most present at room temperature. Thins up a bit, however the bourbon becomes noticeable and is very enjoyable.

This can was approximately two years old, (kept cold the entire time).

Poured a deep brownish black with milk chocolate foam that dissipated quickly. Lots of vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, hints of sweetness and wood notes going on in the aroma and the taste. Not too much of the whiskey comes through with the age but everything else has come together in a very seamless way that makes it very drinkable. There is zero boozy alcohol bite to be found anywhere. As the beer warmed the wood notes came through more and more, especially on the finish.

16oz can. Pours jet black with a rich dark mocha head. Frothy ringing leaves some thick coating of lace down the sides. The nose smells of roast and sweetness with coffee, cocoa, vanilla brown sugars and a touch of oak and tartness being present. The taste similar but much more of that tart dark fruit character presents itself. It’s a shame too, as you can get some of that complexity from the nose but it’s mostly trampled over here. Finish is tart and roasty with some lingering oaky dryness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and a bit lively with the carbonation. Unfortunately, it also seems a little too thin at times as well. It’s too bad that there seems to be an infection taking in hold in this, as it definitely showed some promise but at least it was still fairly drinkable at this point. I liked the novelty of having a BA Stout from a can. I just wish that it had been better.

Thanks again to woodychandler for yet another canned beer. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has a black color with a 1.5 inch head. Smell is of coffee and roasted malts. Taste is coffee and malts up front, a touch of chocolate, a bit of smokiness at the finish. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall is a beer worth seeking out.

16 ounce can. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours dark brown/black with a huge brown head. This can was a gusher, so I had to wait for a while for it to settle down to get the whole can poured into the glass. Head retention and lacing are both decent. Aroma is nice and malty. It smells like roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, and some light vanilla and bourbon. It's a nice smelling beer, but for a beer that was aged in bourbon barrels I expected more bourbon in the aroma. Taste is the same as the aroma, it's all roasted malt, chocolate and coffee with a little bit of vanilla and bourbon. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy but also has too much carbonation for my liking. If you like your bourbon barrel aged beers with a lot (or even a decent amount) of bourbon, this brew isn't for you. I think it's still a decent overall stout, but at $15.99 a 4-pack I don't think it's even close to being worth the price.

Pours a beautiful, viscous black, with a dark brown finger or so of rich looking head. Didn't stick around too long, but dissipated to a consistent foamy ring. The aroma is pleasant, with notes of light bourbon, oak and vanilla, with chocolate and plenty of roasty malts. Bit more a stronger bournon note on the taste, mingling with some vanilla and charred wood. Chocolate, roasted coffee and an almost smoky, meaty taste. The mouthfeel is pretty good, a bit thin though, with a creamy texture. Smooth.

IT's quite a nice BA stout. IT's not the most bourbon barrel heavy, but that's okay; it really lets a whole lot of other complexities shine through. Must seek out more!

Pour coal black with a sizable mocha head that fades within a minute leaving only slight lacing down the edges.

Aroma is dark chocolate, a little smokiness, vanilla oak and just a hint of bourbon.

More chocolate in the flavor. Smoke component is present, but subdued so I like that. Some vanilla with just a hint of bourbon near the end. Finishes a bit sweet.

Medium bodied. I'd prefer a touch more in a big stout Mild carbonation with a semi-sweet finish.

Nice easier to get (at least in IN) bourbon barrel stout in a can! Can't complain too much about this. Is it one of the best I've ever had? No, but it's something I'd be glad to drink any day and I'll continue to buy it in the future.

It looks black to me. No light comes through even when held to a light source. A lousy pour yielded half a glass of tan, rocky head with a little lacing.

The smell has chocolate and dark fruit.

The taste is weak, but exactly like the smell. It reminds me of a raspberry filled chocolate.

Maker's Mark = good. Stout = good. Bourbon barrel aged stout = good. This one however bucks traditional thinking. The flavor and aroma are weak. They do have a chocolate and dark fruit thing going on which is not bad.

Poured from a can into a Dogfish Head snifter at cellar temperature. When I opened the can, I was surprised that it gushed a bit. Once poured, there was an enormous brown head on this thing. Too big, in fact. I had to pour it into two separate glasses. Other than that, the appearance was nearly black. The nose had faint notes of roasted malt, leather, and vanilla. It smells nice, but I wish it was a bit more assertive.

Medium to full-bodied beer with a rather thin mouthfeel and predominantly sweet malty flavor. I don't think the high level of carbonation does this beer any favors. A hefty bloom looks nice, but the subtle flavors imparted from the barrel are completely lost. I had to let the beer sit and de-gas a bit so that I could get all of its flavor. After about 10-15 minutes, I got faint toffee and chocolate up front. At mid-palate, I get a bit of vanilla and a slight bitter roastiness on the finish. Even the mouthfeel improved and got a little creamier. Unfortunately, I never got much bourbon presence. The beer had no bite to it whatsoever.

I've had this beer on tap before and I thought it had more bourbon flavor to it. The canned version doesn't seem to have it. Also, the carbonation is an issue. In my opinion this is a good beer, but it's far from great. Try it if you can find it, but it's probably not something you want to trade for (yet).

This just arrived in Indianapolis yesterday. This is Makers Mark barrel aged. It pours a full bodied lifeless black in color with a slight dark khaki lacing. The aromas are of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, mild bitterness, barrel, and a touch of vanilla. The bourbon aspect is there yet not over the top. It adds a subtle sweetness to the nose. It tastes of dark chocolates, light coffee, sweet yet subtle bourbon, and finishes with a mild bitter bite. The body doesn't live up to the pour, but this is on the lower end for stouts. Overall this is a nice, lighter, barrel aged stout. It drinks smoothly and is an easy beer to drink. It's worth your while.

I have had this CAN in my reefer for so long that I CANnot remember who sent it to me in furtherance of The CANQuest (TM), but today seemed like a good time to make the Crack & Glug happen.

From the CAN: "Great Crescent Brewery is located on a sweeping curve of the Ohio River. Our brewery is rooted in an area founded by folks of a pioneering spirit, who forged new lives in the rich wilderness. We promise to embrace the best of these qualities in our deeds and in our hand-crafted beers, which will always be authentic, down-to-earth and full of life. Thank you for buying our beer. [undersigned] Dan & Lani Valas".

The Crack revealed another brimful CAN from these guys! I am definitely getting my money's worth from these beers. The Glug was nothing less then spectacular, going into a Sam. Adams Perfect Pint glass to allow it to hit the etching at the bottom of the glass. The result of all of this was that I got a real cascading action, followed by the creation of a dense two fingers of light-brown head with excellent retention. The beer itself looked viscous and dark, like I was emptying an ink pot into my glass, allowing little light to penetrate, except at the edges, where it gave off shades of ruby. Nose was very roasty with notes of dark chocolate and French Roast coffee up front, underlain by a coconut sweetness of the bourbon. Liquid Mounds bar, anyone?!? Mouthfeel was thick and creamy and I closed my eyes, envisioning myself drinking an Arby's Jamocha shake laced with bourbon. It was rich, thick, chocolate and coffee with bourbon thrown in for good measure. Finish really left me tasting the bourbon component of this beer and there was NOTHING wrong with that. I rarely indulge in distilled spirits, only because for me, it is like standing on the edge of the abyss and looking down. When I drink hard liquor, I break out in handcuffs, but this is the way to go! Best of the lot with only the IPA left in the on-deck circle.

poured cold and an oily black from the can to a 10oz hunaphu's snifter with a thin, short lasting tan head that dissipated directly after the pour leaving a thin rim around the edge of the glass

subtle roasty aroma, dark sugars, molasses

light bodied, big carbonation, a bit fizzy on the tongue(?), subtle balanced flavors, nothing sticking out particularly. there's bourbon, but you do have to hunt for it. i'd be interested in a side by side with the straight stout.

A- The body of the beer is black no opaqueness to light. The head was thick and burnt tan in coloration. Nice lacing marks the beers passage from the glass.

S- The aroma is not really what I was hoping for. Moderately roasted dark malts with a vague hint of vanilla. No off aromas noted but not really bringing it.

T- Darkly roasted malt with a subdued choco flavors. I have one question. Wheres the Bourbon?

M- The body of the beer is limp and thin. Carbonation is on the lower end. This beer is really not working.

O- This beer is a major let down. It is most definately not worth $4.00 a can. The beer has subdued and muted flavors. Frankly is majorly bland. The body is limp. I cannot approve of this beer. Not wasting my time drinking this beer. Down the drain this beer goes.

Smokey oak and brown sugar up front with some bitter roasted coffee and licorice following.

Medium to full body with tingles of carbonation throughout.

A very attractive looking stout with a great aroma, but underwhelms slightly in the taste and body departments. It's just a bit too watery for this style and unless I'm misunderstanding what the name implies, there is less bourbon flavor here than I had assumed there would be. Maybe there isn't supposed to be any and the apostrophe means it's just a barrel stout in honor of someone named Bourbon. At any rate, those gripes aside, it's a pretty fine stout and worth trying.

T - Starts with some vanilla and oak bourbon with some light smokiness, followed halfway through with bitter chocolate which rides it through for a slight bourbon sweet finish and lingering dark chocolate bitterness.

M - Thin body, semi-sticky on the lips, mild carbonation pricklies gives way to a smooth and dry finish.

O - Solid and I dig the fact it's in a can which is a huge plus. If I have any downsides to this beer, it would be a thicker texture, it's to wimpy and watery on the finish. However, did I mention it's a bourbon stout in a can?? Pretty cool.